Android TV is very much alive, as was made abundantly clear by the plethora of new Android TV powered televisions with Google Assistant capability shown off at CES 2018. Streaming boxes powered by Android TV, however, are conspicuously missing—the last Android TV set-top box to be released in the United States was the Xiaomi Mi Box in October 2016.

Apple TV and Amazon's Fire TV products both received hardware refreshes last September, while Roku products received hardware refreshes in October. In comparison, the three year old Nexus Player—arguably the flagship of Android TV—last received a software update in November, and will not be upgraded to Android 8.1 Oreo. So, where have the boxes gone?

A brief history of Android TV streaming boxes

There have been curiously few Android TV streaming boxes actually available in normal retail channels. In the United States, only five have been made available for purchase. Other devices—like Google's ADT-1—were available to developers, but not available for purchase outside of grey markets.

Nexus Player (2014-2016)

Google's inaugural streaming box should have been good. Being the first retail device, it bore the responsibility of building the Android TV ecosystem. Early reviews were unkind—the processor was undercut by the paltry 1GB RAM and 8GB storage, and the $100 price tag made it a tough sell. It started seeing steep discounts, eventually being dumped for $25 each at Target within a year of release. It has also been subject to a spate of bugs, ranging from a networking problem causing massive uploads of junk data, to a configuration mistake which caused the remote to work erratically.

By default, the Nexus Player is still the standard bearer of Android TV. It also has the rare distinction among Android devices of receiving official updates for four major versions, taking it from Lollipop 5.0 to Oreo 8.0, though it will not receive 8.1.

NVIDIA Shield TV (2015-present)

The Shield TV is practically the only good Android TV box. With a Tegra X1, 3GB RAM, and 16GB storage—or a 500GB hard disk on the Pro model—it is by far the most powerful. The Shield TV supports 4K, and receives regular software updates, though Oreo is still nowhere to be found. NVIDIA liked the Shield TV enough to release it twice—the 2017 version is powered by the same hardware as the original model, but with a smaller footprint.

The Shield TV and Tablet share a variety of game ports which are only compatible with NVIDIA devices, because of the special hardware in those devices. The exclusives do not end there—the company has partnered with Nintendo to bring select remastered Wii and GameCube games to the Shield TV in China, as those consoles were not originally released in that country due to regulations at the time. The Shield TV is also seemingly the only Android TV box with Amazon Prime Video.

Razer Forge TV (April-November 2015)

The Forge TV was a miserable piece of crap. Somehow, it was was allowed to ship without Netflix support, which according to Razer's support website, was never fixed. Razer promised the ability to stream games from your PC, which never materialized. Razer eventually bought the remaining shambles of OUYA to bolster their Android gaming capabilities, though that failed to provide any real benefit. The Forge TV was pulled from the Google store in early November 2015, making it the shortest-lived Android TV streaming box. By some miracle, it did eventually get an upgrade to Marshmallow 6.0.1.

Xiaomi Mi Box (2016-present)

Xiaomi's Android TV supports 4K, and does so at roughly half the price of the Shield TV. As a result, it became the budget option for Android TV devices. The official Android Police review of the Mi Box makes note of performance issues. Apparently, the Amlogic SoC used on the Mi Box is not quite powerful enough to reliably push 4K, as performance improves dramatically after changing display settings to 1080p. It only has 2GB RAM and 8GB storage, making it less than well suited for installing multiple games.

AirTV Player (2017-present)

The AirTV Player is peculiar, as it is centered around the Sling streaming video service. (Both AirTV and Sling are owned by Dish Network.) In addition to the 2GB RAM and 8GB storage, it comes with an over-the-air (OTA) TV tuner, allowing owners to watch broadcast television from the AirTV itself. By design, utilizing OTA broadcasts prevents Sling from needing to negotiate a carrier agreement (or pass along carriage fees to users) for these networks. It's $129.99 for the box and tuner, though it comes with a $50 Sling service credit. Considering that the AirTV Player has limited useful purpose beyond Sling, the credit is beneficial.

Honorable Mention: Japan-only streaming boxes

There are other Android TV set-top boxes which simply have not made it to the United States. The Sharp AN-NP40 was released in June 2016 with Android 5.1 Lollipop. The I-O Data AV-ATB100 and the Pixela KSTB5043 were both released in September 2017 with Android 7.0 Nougat, though these are rebadges of OEM designs by ZTE and Kaon, respectively. These are all fairly indistinct, generic-looking devices.

In terms of unique products, the CCC Air Stick 4K was announced this month, which pairs 4K HDR support with 16GB storage and 2GB RAM, in a package about the size of the original Chromecast. It is a refresh of the original Air Stick, which used the same form factor, but without 4K support.

So, what happened?

Cable providers are using Android TV in set-top boxes

Cable set-top boxes have traditionally been fragile, error-prone devices. It should be welcome news that Android TV is being adopted to replace the proprietary cable boxes of yesteryear. Arris International—which acquired Motorola's set-top box business during the 2011 reorganization and sale to Google—recently announced plans to use Android TV for future set-top boxes.

That said, cable set-top boxes are not products which people actively purchase—they exist essentially as part of a service agreement, and would have limited practical utility outside of that context. Because of this, they are not generally available at retail in the same way that other consumer electronics are. This unofficial website provides an exhaustive-looking list of Android TV-powered devices, most of which are cable set-top boxes.

Everything is smart already

There is a prevailing wisdom found in the comment sections of various electronics enthusiast websites—including this one—about decoupling smart streaming boxes from dumb displays. This is a false premise. Practically no manufacturer of mid-range or higher TVs offers a model without some type of connectivity. While Sony and other manufacturers include Android TV functionality, others like Vizio provide only a Chromecast interface. For strategic reasons, Samsung develops their own Tizen-based Smart TV platform, LG uses webOS, and Panasonic develops their own fork of the now-discontinued FirefoxOS. This makes streaming boxes—Android TV or otherwise—redundant.

Coupling "smart" functions with the actual TV hardware gives manufacturers a perverse incentive to not update firmware in order to drive sales of newer models (looking at you, LG). This also creates a security issue, as seen last year with the (since patched) "Weeping Angel" exploit in Samsung TVs, turning the TV into a listening device for remote attackers. A report in Motherboard last year quoted security researcher Amihai Neiderman as saying Tizen "may be the worst code I've ever seen."

Google cares more about Chromecast

This is a harder argument to make. Google has more licensees than ever for Android TV, though their support for the platform seems halfhearted at times. The original YouTube app for Android TV was tossed out and replaced with the generic webview of the YouTube TV interface used on practically . While more video apps have support for Chromecast connectivity than have actual Android TV support, the gap has been closing for some time.

Amazon's feud with Google

Amazon removed and banned listings of Apple TV, Nexus Player, and Chromecast devices in 2015, citing a need for "streaming media players we sell [to] interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion." At the time, Android Police managing editor David Ruddock characterized this as "a corporate pissing match in which consumers are, in every respect, the losers," and that "there is no good reason to do this aside from Amazon playing protectionist with its own Fire TV line of products."

Since that time, Amazon released a Prime Video app for Apple TV last December, and sales of Apple TV on Amazon.com resumed accordingly. Amazon has also released a Prime Video app for the NVIDIA Shield TV, which is clearly an Android TV device. (Sony TVs also have Prime Video, due to a similar special agreement.) Amazon's own Fire TV streaming products run on their in-house Android fork. In a technical sense, these are Android devices. While the APK for Prime Video on Fire TV likely has dependencies on Fire OS APIs, ultimately Prime Video does not work on Android TV because of Amazon.

This feud has not become less weird since 2015. While the Prime Music app now has Chromecast support, Prime Video still lacks the option. In December, Amazon announced plans to resume selling Chromecast devices, though five weeks later, that has not materialized. A Prime Video app for Android TV was added to Google Play, but is not marked as being compatible with anything. The Prime Video app for phones is mysteriously marked compatible with Android TV, but it does not appear on the launcher if installed.

Conclusion

Android TV effectively lacks a flagship to compete head-to-head with the Apple TV. The Nexus Player is discontinued, leaving Android TV without a real developer device commonly available for testing. Presently, no Android TV device actually runs the latest version of Android. The Shield TV—while admittedly a good product—causes fragmentation, as the high number of Shield exclusive apps makes that device related to but separate from Android TV as a whole.

In terms of hardware, Android TV has effectively remained stagnant since it was introduced. This may be intentional, at least in part. Normally, people do not replace TVs at the same rate as they replace smartphones. Android TV devices—both set-top box and TV—typically do not use flagship SoCs found in phones. With the exception of the Shield TV, they all have 1 or 2GB RAM, and 8 or 16 GB storage. While newer devices have hardware support for 4K, and more efficient video codecs, processing power in Android TV devices has not evolved at the same pace as phones.

This apparent intent of a longer-lived hardware policy is not being adequately backed up with software support. Though the Nexus Player was the longest supported Nexus device, dropping it before the next thing is ready does not inspire confidence. Presently, there is no indication that a next thing is in development. The future of Android TV may be only as an embedded platform, not in standalone streaming boxes.

Hopefully, with the advent of Project Treble in Android 8.0 Oreo, future Android TV devices can maintain software support for the natural lifespan, not left to wither on outdated versions of Android. Until then, there is no compelling reason to upgrade from your existing Android TV device—or move to Android TV—unless you are buying a new TV anyway, or your cable provider offers a free upgrade for a new set-top box.

Comments

"Hopefully, with the advent of Project Treble in Android 8.0 Oreo, future Android TV devices can maintain software support for the natural lifespan, not left to wither on outdated versions of Android"

No matter how much people keep repeating this "Project Treble is going to extend devices forever" narrative it's not going to make it true. It might make it _easier_ if a manufacturer wanted to take advantage of it, but nobody _WANTS_ to. Treble is going to make it easier for Google and that's about it. Everyone else is going to stop issuing updates as soon as their business plan allows them to.

J3R3MY_H

Project treble isn't what's going to make having 8.0 on a ATV device feel more future proof. It's that the launcher gets updated independently via the play store. Similarly to how Android wear now works.

Aaron

But updates to the launcher don't fix security and performance issues.

J3R3MY_H

I agree. Launcher updates are only going to make a device feel more future proof.

I didn't say it was shipping. Shipments should be starting in the next week or so. Yes, I know the history of the device. Since you didn't mention it in your article, I did because it is worth mentioning.

In this case, the pre-order demand for the Stream+ from Channel Master far exceeded the supply of initial inventory. The direct only pre-orders from December 18-January 4, completely diminished the initial supply, ( shipping to customers mid-February), and pre-orders after January 4 won't ship till April. These are only direct sales. No other retailer has begun pre-orders or "announced" sales.

Just saying,...

Wendell Brown

So your articles is correct until it ships. I guess you had to publish now or come up with a new article.

The conclusion of the article indicates that embedded uses, such as in TVs or cable provider STBs, seems to be the future. This may be at the expense of retail-available streaming boxes.
Literally the start of the article is "Android TV is very much alive".

J3R3MY_H

I understand what your article is theorizing. I just don't agree with the theory. I think 4 choices for a ATV STB in the US is plenty (Roku has 3 options, Amazon has 2, Apple has 1) and the fact that there is no Google made STB isn't the issue you make it out to be.

The Channel Master Stream+ may not be a savior but will be like a second John the Baptist after the Nvidia Shield :-) . A single device that streams and can record over-the-air TV (and can participate in ChromeCast/Google Home automation) is a *killer* cable-cutting box for lots of users. The biggest problem is if Channel Master doesn't advertise enough to make potential users realize "You can watch and record broadcast TV for free just like the old days *and* watch the newfangled HBO/Hulu/Netflix stuff."

Actually we had the skipper in Italy at the beginning of last year, I had one since and it was an okay device, it's just fun how regurgitate and spoon feed us always the same stuff

LeVvE

I have a new Samsung "smart" TV and I still bought a Shield TV.

Shield TV is just MILES ahead when it comes to how snappy it is and it has a lot more apps I wanted, like Twitch. Yes, Samsung has a Twitch app but it's not official and doesn't allow logging in, just horrible.

Nvidia GameStream was also one of the reasons why I went with it over Apple TV.

Only thing better then the Shield TV is when they give use the Shield TV 2 😎

😆😄

Getting the Oreo upgrade in a few weeks is the next closest thing :)

Daniel Muvdi

where you hear that?

😆😄

nVidia said it at CES.

Tinwarble

The did not say Oreo would come in the next few weeks. What they said is some time in 2018.

"[Chis]Daniel also said to expect an upgrade to Android 8.0 Oreo for the Shield TV sometime in 2018, although he wouldn’t get any more specific than that."

syxbit

I wish this were true, but I don't think it is.
I love My shield, and would gladly spend another $200 for another Shield with upgraded hardware (The Shield struggles with Gamecube emulation).
Nvidia hasn't announced any SoCs that would be likely replacements for the Shield TV 2.

C64

That has nothing to do with the shield. Dolphin emulator is still in beta for Android.

It's a lot better than a few months ago btw. It needs time.

Even the ps2 emulation is now in it's very early stages. The ps2 was a horrible system to program for. So emulation will not be easy

syxbit

I'm simply saying I love the device and would gladly pay for a replacement with better internals (regardless of how different people would use those improved internals).
I can play N64 upscaled to 1080p smoothly. Imagine playing GameCube games upscaled to 4k. That would be glorious, but can't happen with current mobile hardware, regardless of dolphin improvements.

primalxconvoy

Getting n64 games to actually have great controller mapping, making it easy to play, is another matter entirely, though. I've also not found an n64 emulator for shield that's able to play most games.

Robb B.

No new Nvidia chips to replace the x1. No refresh for awhile. I have two. Old and new. Love them both. Never use my native UI. I do have an Xbox one before it.

Dusty

Yeah, the X1 is so far ahead of anything else in the market that Nvidia doesn't need to upgrade it quickly for a couple of years anyways.

C64

I play Mario kart on 1080 and it almost runs perfect. But like said, it's still in beta

LeVvE

I run Dolphin via Steam on GameStream, works alright for most things but I wouldn't use it for something that requires super precision because even with everything running with ethernet cables there is some input delay.

David Flower

Do you have the same issue on other games? I have no issues with GTA V, but I'm not a hardcore gamer. If there's noticable input delay, the biggest weak spot would be the wireless controller.

LeVvE

Same with all games, I'm used to playing with 0 input lag on PC.

primalxconvoy

To be fair, Dolphin emulator isn't exactly stable, so it's not really the hardware that's at fault here, but rather an unoptimised emulator app.

Alex D’Angelo

You are simply using wrong emulator... Try RetroX all games play flowless.

I have had the shield TV a couple months now, and I absolutely love it. I bought it to replace the Chromecast and fire TV setup I had before. I wanted everything on one device, and so far I'm very happy.

HeyRadar

I back the statement "TVs should not have built-in streaming components". Their hardware get out of date. They don't get software updates, etc.

My 5yr old LG still has a "Coming Soon" icon on the main screen and the apps no longer work.

My 2 year old Samsung has lost all it's features. What was once a very interactive interface is now just a list of apps.

Just give us an active 2+ amp USB port that's always hot. So we can power external devices properly.

LeVvE

My friend has a 2013 model Samsung TV and the apps on that actually still works, surprisingly enough.

C64

I got a 2012 Samsung and haven't used the smart part for 5 years now. I'm afraid to look at it 🤣🤣

the9thlion

It would be nice if future versions of the Shield, Apple TV, etc came with HDMI inputs so I never had to touch my TVs shoddy UI

Marian

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David Flower

What would you need inputs for with a streaming device? On more complex setups, a modern home theater receiver is the right tool for the job. My shield works beautifully with a 4k Onkyo, there's no need for me to ever touch a remote other than the shield remote. I can even access my full Windows 10 desktop through it without ever leaving a shield connected device. The Onkyo takes care of the hand shake issues between two separate TVs and passes off the power on and off commands from the Shield.

Jaymus Lonestar

What model of Onkyo do you have?

David Flower

Sorry for the super late reply, I have the NR555. The downside is that the zone 2 is analog only. I've got a few work arounds, but there's other receivers that have the digital audio converter available for zone 2.

the9thlion

What I want is for the Shield to be the interface though which I access my PS4 or Switch.

newtonfb

"While more video apps have support for Chromecast connectivity than have actual Android TV support, the gap has been closing for some time."

I'm sorry but that argument makes no sense. Android TV has CC built in. I dont see why this is hard for people to understand. It has the Cast receiver built right inside. The is literally no reason why Google hasn't released a refreshed Android TV box or stick. It acts the exact same way as a regular chromecast, except it has an interface with apps. Most of the older generation, heck even my wife doesn't like the Chromecast, she much rather have an interface with apps. With that being said, its this easy..... If the app isn't supported by ATV then just cast it to the ATV device, best of both worlds.

LeVvE

I don't like Chromecast either, I don't want to have a million apps on my phone just to control my TV and never use said apps on the phone for anything else.

I don't mind using Chromecast if there is no alternative but I go out of my way to not have to use it.

primalxconvoy

That's not completely true. The Shield TV doesn't always play nice with screen mirroring, for example, whereas Chromecast does, right? I have to use a dedicated receiver app to allow screen mirroring and sometimes even YouTube casting doesn't always work.

pfmiller

True, the Chromecast app isn't equivalent to a hardware Chromecast. It would be, but it's not. There are some apps that also won't cast to Android TV.

sgtguthrie

I have a Sony Android TV 2015 model, and it still has lollipop on it. They've sent out updates a couple times, but never past lollipop. I doubt I'll do that again. The lack of updates is absurd.

Paul Hansen

I have a 2017 Sony and I barely use the Sony interface. I have a shield plugged in as well and use that the majority of the time.

Gobohobo

Which model do you have? I have a 2015 55 inch XBR-X850c & it has been updated to Marshmallow and just a few days ago, to Nougat.

sgtguthrie

Xbr810c. After your reply, I went and looked on the Sony support site. I'm now trying to update to nougat manually with a USB drive. It's crazy though, because I can't seem to pull the update through settings on the TV. Thanks for the heads up.

As a long time Google TV user and now Android TV, at this point I only continue to use the platform because it supports MPEG2 playback, necessary for using my HDHomerun. If it wasn't for that, I'd jump over to Roku.

All I want is a Android TV stick thats fast and has decent software support.

David Cano

What a great post James. Very comprehensive but easy to read at the same time. Congratulations.

I noticed you didn't mention MiraCast. I'm using Amazon Video app on my htc m9, and it casts just fine, as does YouTube. Which begs the question, why Netflix and Hulu restricted that function. But allow Chromecast? I have other video players that I MiraCast with too.

I gave up on MHL to HDMI plug in, which I can run Hulu through, but the battery won't get me through a 2 hour movie. 😖

Yaki Forto

I think because the Miracast standard is too open. Some random person could Miracast a movie to a screen capture device and boom. Instant cheap 1080p piracy.

The only physical device that can use the CC protocol is the actual Chromecast + Android TV.

That's just my theory at least.

Justin W

Agreed great article - heads up though, Vizio updated their SmartCast TVs to have an actual interface and app selection last summer instead of only using Chromecast.

Jordan VanCampen

It's pretty crappy though.

Justin W

I agree - it's not preferable to the simple Chromecast integration it had before.

BROKEN

Your article sucked. If it wasn't for the Nvidia Shield console there would be no ATV. The Nvidia Shield console is Android's Flagship device.

Also you can unlock the BL, Root and use TWRP. There is a reason we don't have 8.0 yet, go blame Google for all the bugs in the OS.

Nvidia has been the fastest OEM to push updates. I will always own a Nvidia Shield console, and most users will as well.

tintin.92

What? The shield console doesn't run Android TV. Why would it be in an article about ATV?

Who cares that you can unlock the BL? Like how on earth is that relevant to this conversation? 99% are never gonna root or do anything of that sort, so bringing it up is utterly pointless.

LeVvE

I think you mix up Shield with Switch.

primalxconvoy

The Nvidia Shield TV DOES run Android TV. The 2017 model comes with Android TV 7.0, which is derived from the "Nougat" OS version.

I feel like your reply indicates you feel that the state of ATV sucks, not the article as written.

BROKEN

Actually no. The article sucked.

Derek

Agreed.

Derek

Can a Pixel Player fix Android TV? Do u think Google fears they will affect Chromecast sales even tho everything nowadays has Chromecast or Google Assistant built in?

Personally I'd be more willing to purchase a Pixel Player to couple with my LG TVs. I love my 2017 NVIDIA SHIELD TV but I'd be more than willing to give a Pixel Player a shot.

*sidenote* Can we also get a Pixel Watch to save Android Wear?

Richard Markert

Lmao, pixel player for $500, no thanks

Derek

No way it'll cost more than an NVIDIA SHIELD.

Richard Markert

Everything Pixel is vastly overpriced compared to its competition.

Derek

The Pixelbook affect? LOL

Georgio_Orwellisimo

Effect not affect.

Derek

Thanks autocorrect, u r awesome.

Aaron

The Pixel Premium price would kill Android Wear, not save it.

Derek

🤔🤔 I have the LG Watch Sport. If it's in that price range, I'd buy in. Just depends I guess.

Aaron

It's just that Android Wear exists as a supplemental device. Which is fine. I just ordered a Ticwatch E myself, but the price had to be right. High end expensive Android Wear devices are just a niche product that aren't enough by themselves to drive the platform forward. I would just expect a Pixel Watch to sell in small quantities about like Pixel phones. And then like a lot of Google products that came before, it would whither on the vine.

Gustavo

Well, the problem with Android TV is that the source code to build it isn't available for general public, otherwise the market would be flooded with Chinese boxes. Instead the chinese boxes comes with a regular android build with a TV skin, and because of that it doesn't download the proper apps made for Android TV. If Google would just open the source code, Android would have already dominated the market with 90%+ share, not even Apple TV would be able to compete, because I see that a lot of people just buy it because it doesn't have any good alternative (since availability of Android TV boxes are very limited).

OnlyMe999

you musn't have been keeping up with the chinese boxes. They all use android tv 7.1 with their latest firmware updates. Android 8.0 updates will be released in about a month.

Gustavo

Don't know if you ever bought a Chinese box or researched its' specs but they you normal version of Android in tablet mode, not Android TV even though some of them write Android TV on the product description

Gustavo

They don't use Android TV, they use regular Android in tablet mode, even if they mention Android TV in their description.

OnlyMe999

as i said you haven't been keeping up with android boxes. Buy one and install the latest firmware update and it will be android tv not android. The main manufacturer of the boxes and amlogic no longer provide android roms only android tv roms. Yes i do own one, i have the Mecool M8S Pro+ and it received the android tv rom update in September like all the other chinese boxes.

disqus_9yMPv0Xkuh

Why not DIY your own Android TV device? Purchase an Odroid XU4 board and install Android TV 7.1 Nougat. With a bit of ingenuity, you can have a device that out performs most available. It won't be able to play any of the non Android TV Shield only games, because those are not within Android TV specs, but no reason it shouldn't run anything Google Play certified.

Paul M

The "smart" in smart tvs ages quickly and all the ones I've used have a laggy user interface, and most gradually lose features over time - my old Panasonic TV was once a high end TV but is now pretty dumb.
When I upgrade my TV, I am only interested in it as a video display. I use a Satellite DVR for actual programs, and chromecast or a PS3 for Netflix, Amazon Video, BBC Iplayer etc. It's much cheaper to buy a dedicated box which does things well than rely on some half-arsed smarts in the TV.

LG OLEDs are amazing. I just ignore the smart part and use Shield TV instead because it has better (simpler and lighter) remote and cleaner interface.

primalxconvoy

However, as the prices are included in the TV, just get a cheaper TV and never use the extra features and don't connected it online. Voila, problem solved/ignored.

Jared

I want an Android TV set top box with Dolby Vision support and Amazon Video. Right now I mostly use LG's WebOS apps for Netflix, Amazon, Google Play Movies, Vudu, and YouTube; and my Nexus Player for Disney apps, Live Channels (with my HD Homerun), ESPN, and casting Play Music. If Shield TV would add DV support, I could ignore all of LG's apps and just use the Shield.

David Coleman

That's what I really want as well! That's why I was very disappointed we don't have a new Shield TV announced or anyone's box that can do both!

We have a SHIELD TV on our main television in the family room, but each other TV in the house, including the kitchen, has a Nexus Player. We simply love the interface and ease of use.We use Live Channels connected to an HDHomeRun Connect for the locals we want, and YouTube TV for the other channels we don't want to pay more than $35 for. Smart TVs, in my opinion, are useless. I would much rather have a small box that provides more functionality than a bastardized version of Android TV or some other custom "Smart Interface" built into my television.

We don't have a single Chromecast device in the house, aside from what's built into Android TV of course. Why would I want to have to pull out my phone to search for content just to cast it to my TV every time? Casting has its place, but not for each and every time I want to view something on the Big TV. That's why we held off on YouTube TV until a (somewhat) proper built in app came to market.

Google is seriously missing the boat here. Android TV could have been, and still could be, and amazing product.

Richard Markert

I love my shield tv. It's literally the best buy I've ever made.

All my past the since 2011 have had smart junk built in. I used the apps on my Samsung once and disabled it forever.

Every tv since hasn't even been connected to my network once.

LeVvE

Agreed, I used Chromecast for a few weeks and I hated it, used my PC to cast and on PC it doesn't allow the monitor to sleep while something is being casted.

Richard Markert

I use Plex on my whs as the backend for my media. My server runs completely headless and requires very little attention.

LeVvE

I'm probably getting a NAS at some point to run my Plex server so I don't need to run it on the PC anymore.

Just want a NAS that does 4K and not just 1080P that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

MrJazz

Google has a serious case of ADD.
Now that it's apparent that there is no "next thing" waiting in the wings for Android TV (or Wear, for that matter) they are losing the love/hate battle with me big time.

I have a 2012 smart TV that is forever stuck on its smartless OS. I tried getting a big screen without "smarts" inside, but it was unavoidable.
If I didn't got a Shield TV for it, I swear, it would have been bam, zoom, straight to the moon right now (I would have sell it!).

Jeremy

Cable set-top boxes have traditionally been fragile, error-prone devices. It should be welcome news that Android TV is being adopted to replace the proprietary cable boxes of yesteryear.

And if Google has any sense left in them, they'll partner with Nvidia to foster and build upon the momentum of the Shield, which in my opinion is still by far the best streamer in the market.

And for crying out loud, where is the fucking Google Home/Assistant support for Android TV.

The lack of a complete and seamless Google Home/Assistant support for Android TV alone, leads me to believe that, lately, Google has more money than sense.

Even simple shit like CES Volume Control is still not properly implemented across Android TV and Chromecast devices.

So, if you want to use your Google Home to control the volume of your TV/Soundbar/Receiver endowed with Chromecast or Android TV, well, good luck.

Meanwhile the combination of Amazon's Alexa and Amazon's Fire TV continues to dominate in ways that just makes Google's discombobulated solutions look pathetic.

Most people don't even know what the fuck a Chromecast or Android TV is. But they'll be quick to tell you they got that Fire Stick or Roku.

OnlyMe999

If google had any sense they would make a nexus player 2 with an Amlogic S905X2 SoC, 2GB+ DDR4 and 16GB+ storage with gigabit ethernet and 802.11ax. Put android 8.1 on it and support it for 4yrs and sell it for $70-100. The old box had an intel x86 chip in, it is understandable that they don't want to have to maintain an x86 port of android so they should make a new version with an arm chip.

I really want to purchase an Android TV box, yet no one seems to want make them. It's really disheartening. I'd love to be fully participant in Google Movies and TV and YouTube, I'm just not going to buy an Android TV set!

C64

Juist get the shield tv. Yes it's expensive, but it's worth every penny.

"Hopefully, with the advent of Project Treble in Android 8.0 Oreo, future Android TV devices can maintain software support for the natural lifespan, not left to wither on outdated versions of Android. Until then, there is no compelling reason to upgrade from your existing Android TV device—or move to Android TV—unless you are buying a new TV anyway, or your cable provider offers a free upgrade for a new set-top box."

Just makes me wish I could purchase a great display without smart functions. I'd rather get a streaming box (if Android TV had a flagship...).

Lee

In my opinion Google need to push out a top tier Android TV Box to push their content and a really good Android Tablet; right now as they expand Google Play Books there is no descent hardware to read it on. There is not a single tablet that I have found that runs Android 8.0 or one that gets regular security update patches.

JG

Agreed. I'd love to get a new Pixel quality tablet. But I doubt we'd actually see one, especially given how well higher end tabs have been selling...

But lower end tabs are still selling well - at least it seems as Amazon has released a new 2017 model. I think Google should potentially attempt to re-enter the tablet market by emulating Amazon's Fire tabs.

They've put a lot of money into marketing their phones as premium only. And while technically Google's last tablet was the first to run the post-Nexus Pixel brand, that was still prior to Google's advertising push. So there shouldn't be much marketing issue with Google releasing an Android Go branded tablet rather than a Pixel tablet.

I'd imagine Google probably wouldn't have much issue creating a comparable, if not improved device both spec and build quality while maintaining the impulse buy range pricing.

I personally have a 7 and 10 inch Fire tab. They're great devices - considering. But I would happily swap them for a Go Tablet without a second thought. I feel limited without the Play Services & Store and the OS is ... not only dated but also designed specifically to get me to shop at Amazon. A Go tab would have Play Store & Services out of the box and both OS and stock apps would always be the most up to date version, only tweaked to run on lower powered devices.

And with tablets 6.0+ running the Assistant, the Go Tabs would be a great avenue for Google to get me to interact with yet another instance of the Assistant on a regular basis.

I have the NSTV and the NP, they work great for my needs. But look ATV is like GoPro, they are (or they could be) a victim of their own success. I have a 50" dumb 2010 Samsung TV, go ahead and call me cheap-ass but I'd rather feed my family than spending it on a TV. But the reason I have never replaced it is because I have used in there from a Roku to Google tv to a fire TV and eventually the Android TV.

"Coupling "smart" functions with the actual TV hardware gives manufacturers a perverse incentive to not update firmware in order to drive sales of newer models". Very true.

No manufacturers, except for the handful, will adopt it because it gives no incentives for them other than selling the hardware ones to a customer, and then Google gets all the benefits afterwards. And if the hardware works like a champ, then it gives more disadvantage to the manufacturer and the only thing Google has to do is update it like there's no tomorrow until it's obsolete.

Hopefully, I'm completely wrong in my opinion on this because I really love to continue using ATV on a dumb TV.

To suggest that Android TV doesn't have a flagship streaming box when it currently has the best streaming device on the market sort of undercuts The credibility of this argument. The Nvidia Shield TV is by far the best streaming player out there for anybody that has used an Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV or Nexus player.

The reason there aren't more streaming boxes coming online is because a lot of Manufacturers are putting them in TVs, and no manufacturer has surpassed the Nvidia Shield TV yet.

blindexecutioner

I'm not sure I agree that it's better than a Roku.

LeVvE

Roku feels like a cheap toy compared to the Shield.

niuguy

If you have a halfway decent setup Shield is better than the Roku. Roku is great for your parents, but if you're at all an enthusiast Shield is the better option, imo.

Dusty

Roku is great for streaming, it seems to age well, my 4 year old Roku TV is still supported. Newer versions of Roku are faster and better, but Roku can't do a fraction of what ATV can do. Roku was never intended to support games, download movie libraries or create servers. Strictly as a streaming player, the Roku 4k box is on par with the Shield TV. It may even have some better streaming apps too.

Laurentiu

YouTube webview app is terrible.

T_Dizzle

Thank goodness for the grey market! Sweet Android TV boxes that you can install prime video on directly from Amazon.

@James Sanders, thank you for the clarification. I agree with your point.

Stan

Another fan of the he Shield here. All streaming apps work incredibly well on it, and I would even go as far to say the video and audio quality is a bit better, too. The audio difference is very noticeable if you are running a high-end audio system. Another neat trick is that you can use your PS4 controller with it.

It has effectively become my entertainment hub. Love it!

JD

This article proves another point for not supporting Android.

Leo

Too late, 80% of the world disagrees.

JD

Ain't much of a choice out there.

ludwig Hallgren

This is a bullshit post. Nvidia is still stronger than apple TV without refresh. Omfg

Leoncio Garcia Jr

Shield(fun for me) on Roku TV(for the family) is my next setup! Android TV can be difficult to understand and Roku TV has the easiest interface and besides I could put the shield on any TV that's available.

"...the last Android TV set-top box to be released in the United States was the Xiaomi Mi Box in October 2016...The Shield TV is practically the only good Android TV box...NVIDIA liked the Shield TV enough to release it twice—the 2017 version is powered by the same hardware as the original model..."

This is a bit inconsistent, AP. Nvidia re-released the Shield in 2017, so your statements are at odds with each other.

Also, your statement about a flagship ATV box is inaccurate. The Shield TV IS the flagship, but it's not available globally (only selected countries, with Japan not being one of them, for example). Updates to the OS have also been America-centric (such as Google Assistant), so much I've not bothered to ever update the OS from factory settings.

In Japan, there aren't really any ATV boxes for sale in the electronics shops I've been to. There are a few of the original Google-made Nexus players, but that's it. If there are any others, they've been hidden from plain sight at the places I've been to. However, as Japan is behind the West in terms of streaming media availability and consumption, this lack of players may be understandable.

Consider this comparison: The Wii has three different revisions, in North America. The launch model, the "Family Edition" which removed GameCube compatiblity, and the budget edition which used a cheaper top-loading drive. These are not upgrades, they are different SKUs of the same product. This is the same relationship that the 2017 Shield has with the 2015 Shield.

Historically, the Shield lags further behind in software updates than the Nexus Player does. It's the better and more powerful of the two by far, but it does not have Oreo yet.

I've seen a display the Sharp AN-NP40 at a Yodobashi Camera once. The CCC Air Stick is available at Tsutaya (which is basically everywhere), but it's not heavily advertised as being Android TV on those displays. Japan has the same situation as the rest of the world, though. Docomo and au both sell Android STBs, these aren't generally available outside of those service agreements.

pfmiller

Some of us consider not having Oreo a feature. The new launcher is terrible.

Travis Halfman

I love the Nvidia Shield TV and have two of them in the house. The main one is a Plex server used for OTA recordings using HDHomerun and the second is used with Tinycam Monitor Pro to record-on-motion my security cams. A Plex server on it allows me to have access to these recording anywhere. For us, all streaming services are present, except HBO Go. For some reason, Comcast isn't a supported provider for the app on Android TV. We have to Chromecast that content instead.

Andy

Android TV on my Sony TV Sucks

Mario Ray Mahardhika

Thankfully Chinese TV Boxes are well alive and I never opted to buy a smart Android TV. Instead, I bought stupid TV that has good display and upgrade my Android TV Box from time to time. A much cheaper option than upgrading a smart Android TV.

LazarusDark

Funny, the author claims Shield TV is an outlier and there is no flagship Android TV, while my personal opinion is that the Shield TV is both the flagship and only true ATV, all others are just half-baked wannabes that don't count. After all, Shield is the only one I could ever recommend to someone, so it's effectively the only one that matters. Long-term, I still think ShieldTV is the best possible Smart TV device for the foreseeable future, so it's still worth getting, even with now-3 year old hardware.
I really want Shield TV built into my A/V receiver. The receiver is the hub of the home theater and the best place for Shield imo (rather than built into 64 inch TV's)

blindexecutioner

Don't buy anything with Android in it if you want it to last more than a year or two.

LeVvE

Shield TV was released in 2015 and works just as good as when it was released, what you on about?

Cable set-top boxes have traditionally been fragile, error-prone devices. It should be welcome news that Android TV is being adopted to replace the proprietary cable boxes of yesteryear.

Every cable set-top box I've used has been extremely stable. What wasn't always stable was the on the cable side of the box (service interruptions and outages).

When I cut the cable long ago, I bought a Roku. Let me say that the Roku is my favorite streaming device. I love it.

But it's based on Android, and it has its share of problems. It freezes. I've reset it more times than I can count. And it has trivial problems, too. It sometimes fails to update my list on Netflix if I change it elsewhere (an app problem, no doubt).

I still love it, and each new version gets better. But even being based on Android, it has always had more problems than any cable set-top box I've ever had.

And don't get me started on the cheap Android streaming boxes, like Beelink, etc. Those are true Android boxes, and they're way more trouble than they're worth.

This might not count, but I had a very flimsy RCA-branded satellite TV box. It required daily reboots after about a year. I've never really seen a cable TV box that was much better, but I was using satellite because the cable provider where I lived at the time wasn't great to begin with.

Jeremy

Maybe I've just been lucky. I've had several different brands of cable boxes from different providers, including a Dish box (I've moved around a lot). Some were a pain to use. One, in particular, was terrible at overshooting when you fast forwarded or rewound. But they were all stable.

My favorite combo was a cable-box and TiVo with dual cable cards, but I stopped using it when I cut the cable.

refthemc

IMO My Time Warner boxes have always been slow as heck

Jeremy

Yes, I've had very slow cable boxes. Like I say below, my favorite combo was a cable box and TiVo. IMO, the TiVo interface was fast and amazing. They really put a lot of thought into everything about it.

But a cable box being slow, or having a bad UI isn't the same as being error-prone. The most error-prone devices I've ever had were Android boxes.

Roku has never released any type of device that in any way, shape, or form, has anything to do with Android or Google. There are enough realistic flaws between systems being discussed here without misidentifying Operating Systems.

smeddy

I have an Android Box (note, not Android TV), and it's perfect. Full Android, with Nova as the launcher, and a wireless keyboard and mouse (Logitech K400 for anyone interested).

With HDMI and loads of USB ports, it's the media player of my dreams, a proper Android 10-foot experience. I just need to see if there's a way I can run it as a media server as well.

I'm using the MXQ Pro, if anyone is interested, with no complaints. They're about $40.

Channel Master has a box coming out this month which also functions as an OTA DVR...

psiclone

Smart move. Let the other players flounder against Roku and keep your channel on it, so that we can still use the YouTube and Google play without all the extra fuss.

Robb B.

No need for new devices when King Shield reigns supreme with constant updates, and more power than it needs. Nvidia!

Ryan

Did they forget about the massive amount of Chinese boxes built on AMLogic SoC's?

TheOracle

I can't speak for Android TV boxes but the Chinese TV boxes (mislabelled as Kodi boxes) are selling like crazy. I have one for each of my 3 tv's. Most of my friends have multiple boxes too. None of us use Kodi by the way. They're cheaper, more versatile and accept virtually every Android apk unlike Android TV boxes. So there's your answer to what's happened.

niuguy

This article is strangely dismissive of the Nvidia Shield.

Peter McGrath

I have one and don't like it much. You can only run standard Android apps with a lot of trouble, you can't add shortcuts to the home screen,and it really needs a proper "smart mouse" to control it.

Not mentioned here is the Zidoo range of Android TV boxes, which also have their problems, but are a bit more user friendly than the Nvidia Shield TV.

pfmiller

You don't like it much because you can't run apps that aren't meant to run on it? That's hardly a fair standard for judging the device.

Peter McGrath

Well, it is an "Android" TV so I'd expect to be able to run any Android apps on it, and in fact you can do so, just Nvidia seem to think locking it down so it only does what Nvidia think it should, is a good idea. Its entirely reasonable to think the owner should be able to decide what they do with it.

pfmiller

Your expectation is wrong, it's a completely different form factor. You can't expect apps designed for a touch screen to automatically work on a non touch enabled device.

Also, Nvidia didn't lock anything at all down. Developers need to opt in to Android TV support for the aforementioned reason but you can add non-supported apps to the launcher with 3rd party apps (TV app repo). Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

Peter McGrath

Seriously, don't be so arrogant to tell me what my expectations are. I bought a premium "android" TV box, and its a huge disappointment. I know what Android is and what its supposed to do. The Nvidia shield TV is in reality almost useless.

pfmiller

I'm not saying what your expectations are, but they are objectively wrong. Sorry.

Peter McGrath

Touchscreen apps work perfectly fine with an air mouse, that's what Nvidia should have supplied with the device, not a 3 button remote control.

You are entitled to your own opinion, don't tell me mine is wrong.

You also seem to be lacking knowledge in this area, its pretty clear you have never even used an air mouse. Suggest you educate yourself before proclaiming to be a knowledgable expert in the field.

Francois Roy

You seem to be lacking even more knowledge.
With all due respect, if you can't make the difference between something that runs "Android TV" and "Android-powered boxes meant to be plugged on a TV", or if you are unable to tell what stock "Android TV" is like and what has been added by Nvidia, your opinion on the matter is of very little value.

Beemerguy

I have a new Sony A1E with Android TV. It sucks as so many apps, especially TV network apps, aren't available. Like any of the Discovery apps, Nat Geo, etc. So I'm forced to Chromecast from my devices. I have a Roku 4k stick and Fire stick on other TV's. I am ready to order the Nvidia as it's real Android for the Sony and forget about the built in stuff. After this article SHOULD I BUY it? I literally was going to place it today before seeing this article.

bernusPL

Everything is smart, except for me

Marian

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I own two SHIELD TV's and was given a Razer Forge TV and holy shit. The Forge is one of the biggest pieces of trash Android devices I've used. The controller is really cheap and barely works. The Forge also completely locks up after being asleep for more than a few hours - forcing me to pull the power plug.

The biggest problem with Android TV is that it's tied to separate large and expensive displays whether it's integrated or a standalone box. Sure in the US people are flocking to big screens but most of these people still have cable and satellite boxes which don't play nice with Android TV. The rest of the world hasn't got the money to throw at a $1k TV let alone a $200 one and then to drop another $100 on a box and maintain a reliable network connection. This has left Android TV a niche product. Chromecast and Firestick are cheap dongles that stream Netflix. Outside of that the masses do nothing else except either watch Ota TV, cable or satellite.

Alex D’Angelo

This statement "Android TV effectively lacks a flagship to compete head-to-head with the Apple TV.* is complete and total BS! NVIDIA SHIELD is the most powerful device and with power and support, as well as apps (especially apps) is way better than Apple TV. Also Android TV is on plethora of Android boxes coming from the East that are better and more powerful that Apple TV.

And "apperant death"?! Is more than alive and kicking in so many devices and households!

balcobomber25

While they haven't gained any traction in the west, they are huge in some countries in Asia.

Peter Krull

Awesome review, anyhow you must check this new Android TV device with same nVidia specs but with built-in Z-Wave home automation system, pretty cool: https://goo.gl/LJGFvC cheers!

disqus_9yMPv0Xkuh

Channel Master is weeks away from shipping the Stream+ with Android TV 7.1, and dual OTA tuners, with DVR features. Like the Nexus, it is being released without Netflix support, and side loading apps disabled. It has been available outside the USA as the Skipper, and primarily used by Cable TV providers. It uses same chipset as Air TV Player, Marvell Armada Ultra 1500.

disqus_9yMPv0Xkuh

I liked the article. For the average consumer, it peels back the curtain on Android TV. For Shield TV fan boys, it may be nothing new. I understand that since the Stream+ is not in US customers hands yet, they weren't included in the article. That's reasonable. I realize that Amazons Fire TV products are based on Android, but have their own Eco-system and no direct access to Google Play Store. So that explains why they are not included. What confuses me a bit is the last comment pertaining to the AirTV Player. Why does it have "limited useful purpose beyond Sling TV"? I'm not too familiar with it, but specs for it reflect that it runs Android TV 6.0. Why is it more limited than other Android TV devices running 6.0 ? I'm not trying to be argumentative I am just curious.

Tinwarble

"the last Android TV set-top box to be released in the United States was the Xiaomi Mi Box in October 2016."

While true, though I think the AirTV (it's still a Android TV device despite launching directly into the Sling app) was after the Mi box, Channel Master has announced the Stream+ which it has on it's site for preorder.

All these tech media outlets base their judgments only on the devices performance but never mention side-by-side picture quality comparisons. I have 8 FHD and UHD TV's and 27 streaming devices dating back to the WD TV Live Media Player. Of all these devices the Apple TV 4K, and most if not all of the Amlogic S series devices have the BEST picture quality. Out of all my streaming devices my three Shield TV's come in dead last for their picture quality... DEAD LAST! Even my very old WD TV player has better quality video playback, as do most of my old bluray players with built in streaming apps. As has been said thousands of times in the NVIDIA forums, and all over the internet, the SHIELD TV is absolutely NOT the best streaming device, it IS however the "most powerful" Android streaming device, not counting the Apple TV 4K (which uses Apple's tvOS instead). You tech media websites need to try and clarify these basic truths because I purchased the SHIELDs because of your "most powerful" recommendations only to discover how extremely ugly the picture is. Now they just sit collecting dust because all our other devices provide better video quality. Picture Quality is of the most importance when comparing streaming devices. I would rather watch my cat puke up hairballs than to watch any stream on my SHIELD TV's (I am hoping the Oreo update helps somehow but I seriously doubt it will). I normally default to my MINIX U9-H (which destroys the shield in picture quality), or our many Mi Box's which has official ATV support. Get your facts straight please. If your eyes do not properly work to see the major differences than you really shouldn't be reviewing these devices. The NVIDIA Shield TV is the #1 most powerful Android TV device, with the VERY LAST in picture quality playback. The video it produces is super soft almost making all video blurry on purpose, even with your TV's sharpness turned all the way to max. THE WORST PQ I HAVE EVER SEEN TO DATE.

There are several £35 dollar Android TV boxes coming out powered by s905w SoC from Amlogic

Juicy Babii

As something to compare, my MiBox just updated to Android TV Oreo (without consent), and with it came no fewer than 12 bugs. I'm still trying to find where to even report them. Some are only confusing (three misspellings in a settings interface) and others are super-annoying (a powered-off 'sleeping' device keeps cyclically sending HDMI video on / video off signals, causing the connected TV to display "signal received" / "signal lost" alerts)

Juicy Babii

I take that back. the spelling mistakes are super annoying. How did ANYONE permit this? The person responsible (and their manager) ought to be fired for allowing this to be deployed to every single Android TV.
"Totle" instead of "Total"
"Frequencys" instead of "Frequencies"
"Adaption" instead of "Adaptation"
And I'm suspicious of the made-up looking word "Drescale" - do they mean "Prescale?"